SS Heartfilia
by nocte-caelum
Summary: Collection of one-shots about ships featuring Lucy Heartfilia. Currently planning RoLu, StiLu, NaLu, GraLu, LaLu, GaLu and CoLu. Warning: excess fluff
1. Chapter 1: RoLu

**So, I thought I'd try something different, and this is basically gong to be a collection of one-shots featuring all the main Lucy Heartfilia ships. So far I've got RoLu, StiLu, NaLu, GraLu, LaLu and CoLu. If I'm missing any important ones, or you want another one just leave a comment and I'll try my best.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Yet.**

* * *

Rogue turned his head to look at his girlfriend sleeping peacefully beside him. Her long, golden hair was hanging over her face and her breath misted up the car window.

Rogue turned his attention back to the road, and put a CD in.

As the opening bars of the song played Rogue smiled widely. Twenty one pilots were his absolute favourites, and this song in particular!

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the beat, and a quick glance at Lucy assured him she was still asleep.

He turned the volume up a bit and started singing along to the song.

' _She's the tear in my heart, I'm alive_

 _She's a tear in my heart, I'm on fire_

 _She's the tear in my heart, Take me higher_

 _Than I've ever been!'_

* * *

Lucy woke up, and was immediately aware of a gentle humming sound that told her she was in a car.

The strong scent of coffee and chocolate on the blanket tucked carefully over her body told her she was still with Rogue.

 _Huh_ , she thought, _I must have fallen asleep._

Suddenly she realised that somebody in the car was singing. She cracked open one eye and had to fight a smile.

Silent, sullen Rogue, the shadow dragon-slayer, was singing along to the radio and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.

 _Wow_ , _he's actually a really good singer,_ Lucy thought, mildly impressed. His voice was like molten chocolate, smooth and rich.

She was so busy ogling his beautiful face, and listening to him sing softly that she failed to notice the crunch of gravel that meant they were almost at her house.

Rogue's head began to turn towards her and she closed her eyes hastily.

 _Oh god, tell me he didn't realise I was awake,_ she pleaded silently, _that would be mortifying!_

Her fears simply melted away as he gently brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her brow. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted by a pair of strong, muscular arms, and she inhaled, smelling chocolate and coffee - her favourite scent.

Rogue quietly unlocked and opened the front door, before going upstairs and laying her down on her bed. As he turned to leave, Lucy grabbed his hand.

"You're a really good singer, y'know?" She mumbled sleepily. "Stay. Please?"

Rogue blushed, and let himself be pulled down beside her, kicking off his shoes before lying completely on the bed. Lucy pulled him under the covers and snuggled close.

"I love you, Rogue." She whispered, her sweet, strawberry-scented breath ruffling his hair, filling him with joy.

"I love you too, Lucy." He whispered back, kissing her lips tenderly. "You mean the world to me."

Then the two lovebirds fell asleep, holding one another close and smiling.


	2. Chapter 2: CoLu

**Second story in the series, this one's for all you CoLu fans out there! It ended up a bit longer than the RoLu one, because the story was a bit more developed. I've decided to try and end every story with the same words, but see how many different ways I can do it, so we'll see how that goes. ^_^**

 **Note: Lucy had Wendy heal Cobra's eye, so he now has both of them.**

 **Thanks to all who favourited, followed and reviewed.**

 **Disclaimer: unfortunately, I still don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Cobra walked down the street, kicking an empty soda can out of his way. He headed towards the Fairy Tail guild hall, hoping to drown out all these annoying voices with the buzz of alcohol.

 _Stupid other dragon-slayers and their stupid flying, talking cats. Stupid Jellal for sending him on that stupid mission to Sabertooth and stupid twin dragons and their stupid boasting!_

Lost in angry thoughts, Cobra slammed straight into a pole and swore so loudly that everyone on the street turned to stare at him. He hated attention.

Continuing his angry march towards the guild of idiots, he returned to his thoughts and scowled at the ground, but this time made sure to watch for poles.

When he reached the guild hall, he slid onto an empty seat at the end of the bar and gestured for the barmaid, a pretty blonde, to come over.

"Give this to Makarov." He said in a low voice, sliding her an envelope. "It's from Jell-mmph!" His last words were cut off as the attractive woman put a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up! If Erza hears you, she'll never leave you alone!" Lucy grinned at his expression. Though she may not have the magic to hear the thoughts of others, she could tell exactly what he was thinking. "She isn't a dragon-slayer, but if you say _his_ name, I don't know how, but she'll hear you. Trust me on this one."

Picking up a glass and beginning to polish it, Lucy asked nonchalantly "so, I get off work in about 10 minutes, do you want to go the park with me? I haven't seen you in ages, and it'd be nice to catch up where there aren't _nosy stupid dragon-slayers that can't mind their own business!_ " She hissed the last part, which got the now embarrassed, nosy stupid dragon-slayers to stop listening to the conversation

"I'd love to, Bright Eyes." Cobra replied with a small smile.

"Good, then maybe you can tell me what's wrong." Lucy gave him a knowing look, then turned away to serve the next customer.

 _Damnit, she knows me too well!_ Thought Cobra. But, though he didn't normally like people knowing too much about him, he didn't really mind it with her. _Strange_.

10 minutes later, Lucy and Cobra left the guild and started walking to the park. They walked there in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence, more of a peaceful one. Although, anything would be considered peaceful compared with the guild hall they'd just left.

When they reached the park, Lucy pulled Cobra over to a bench and sat him down.

"Okay, tell me what's on your mind." She said bluntly.

"Tch, no need to be so forceful Bright Eyes." He replied evasively, but looking at her expression sighed and kept talking. "It's those damned flying cats, that's what! That idiot Jellal sent me to Sabertooth to give Sting a message, but the whole time him and the other one were just boasting about their stupid flying cats.

"Then, on my way here, I bumped into Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy. Apparently they found a lead on the dragons' location and were off to check it out. Natsu was asking me why I didn't have an exceed, and Gajeel was just laughing and saying how his Panther Lily was the best. Wendy was fine until they started insulting Carla, and then she started talking about how Carla is the best because she can see the future.

"And to top it all off, I heard that that other 2nd generation, Laxus, has a cat too now! So I'm the only one left!" When he was finished, Cobra was flushed with anger at the other dragon-slayers, and embarrassment at how stupid he sounded.

Lucy was just silent, and then she started laughing at him, which made him blush even more.

"Sh-shut it, Blondie. It's annoying." He muttered.

"Sorry, it's just that this is what Gajeel was like when he didn't have a exceed, Laxus too. I'm sure you'll get one soon." She said reassuringly.

"For now, why don't we go back to mine. You can stay tonight, since I'm betting you don't have a hotel." At Cobra's smirk she added "no, you're sleeping on the couch, baka." Which made his grin even wider.

"Fine, but just lock your window. I know the fire-breather's out of town, but who knows how long that'll last." Cobra said, and Lucy had to agree with him - she was pretty sure that Natsu had no idea what personal space and privacy even meant.

They got up from the park bench and began to walk back to Lucy's, when the blonde gave a strangled yelp and dropped to the floor. Cobra, who had been walking in front so he could listen to her thoughts without her seeing his blush turned around and was immediately confused. Lucy was lay flat on the ground, and on top of her back was a huge egg. It began to crack, and out fell a baby exceed.

It's fur was the same colour as Cobra's hair, and it had eyes almost exactly like Lucy's.

Cobra started grinning like a madman and picked up the little exceed, giving it a cuddle. He then offered Lucy his hand to help her up, which made her blush. He was about to listen in on her thoughts about him when the little exceed started crying. He turned his attention to it and asked Lucy a question he'd been wondering. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl, I think." Lucy replied, and the baby exceed looked at her with it's big bright eyes.

"Mama!" She cried and struggled out of Cobra's arms to get to Lucy. When Lucy was holding her, she looked back at Cobra. "Dada." She said, slightly less enthusiastically, but that was probably because she was falling asleep.

At the little exceeds first words, Cobra and Lucy just looked at each other and blushed.

Trying to move onto another subject, but failing to find one, Lucy sighed. "You'll be staying for a while now. Natsu told me it took Happy almost 2 years to completely grow up, and if this sweet little girl thinks we're her parents, she'll need both of us or she won't be able to grow properly. I know what it's like to grow up without parents. Without love." Lucy was red from embarrassment, but also had tears in her eyes from the painful memories of those years she spent alone in that cold mansion.

Cobra's expression softened as he heard her thoughts. "I understand." He said carefully, trying not to upset her even more. "But what are we going to do about, ah, living arrangements?" He asked, his face returning to its tomato-like state.

Lucy's complexion was beginning to rival the colour of Erza's hair, and Cobra listened in on her thoughts.

 _I don't know what I should say, I mean the obvious thing to do would be for us to live at my place, but would that be pushing it? This is already awkward enough and I-_

"Geez, Bright Eyes, calm down. We'll live at your apartment until we can buy our own house. After that we can buy somewhere, and even when little Layla has grown up, Crime Sorciere can use it as a base. Being nomads sucks sometimes, you have no idea what I'd give to have some kind of a portable shower lacrima." Cobra suggested.

"That's...not a bad idea but I - Layla?" Lucy asked, confusedly.

"Yeah, Layla. I thought we might as well give her a name." He said, gesturing at the sleeping exceed.

"I-Thank you." Lucy said in a daze. She suddenly threw her free arm around him, making them both blush, and his hand slid into hers as they walked home together.

When they reached the door, Cobra threw caution to the wind and pulled Lucy in for a kiss, one that she eagerly returned.

"I can hear your thoughts, so I know how you feel, so I'll just say it now. I love you Lucy. I think I've been falling in love with you for a while. Maybe it was the way you would selflessly sacrifice yourself for your nakama without a second thought or maybe it was your bubbly personality or your beautiful smile, but I love you." Cobra said, staring into her eyes.

She stared right back at him, getting lost in his eyes. "I know you can hear how I feel, but I just want to say it. I love you too." She whispered, knowing that he would hear it with his enhanced sense.

They took Layla upstairs, and Lucy made a temporary cot for her until they could buy one.

Then the two lovebirds fell asleep, holding one another close and smiling.


	3. Chapter 3: StiLu

**Yayyyyy! StiLu now! I think this ship is kind of adorable - especially when Sting's being an ass and Lucy calls him out on it, even though it isn't my favourite. Comment what pairing you want next ^_^**

 **Thanks to all who favourited, followed and reviewed.**

 **Disclaimer: still don't own Fairy Tail ,*~***

* * *

"Blondie! Hey, Blondie!" An annoying voice called out to Lucy as she made her way down the street.

She turned round and shot a glare at her stalker, who simply grinned in return.

Sting Eucliffe, the mighty white dragon-slayer of Sabertooth, and their newly minted master. And an absolute pain in Lucy's ass.

Every time Lucy came to Crocus for a job, or to meet with Yukino, Sting sniffed her out and followed her like a lost puppy the entire time. Once, he got a Lucy kick to the face because he dared to follow Lucy and Yukino to the baths where they were meeting Minerva. The blonde male barely escaped with his life.

"Sting, how many time have I told you not to follow me!" The celestial mage said exasperatedly. "I've already got one stupid dragon-slayer who doesn't understand the concept of personal space - I don't need another!"

At her last comment, Sting stiffened almost imperceptibly. His face was schooled into a mask of bland disinterest, but inside he was raging. _How dare another man get that close to my Lucy! It had to be Salamander - oh, I can't believe he once looked up to the guy. Stealing another dragon's mate is the worst crime - wait, mate?! She isn't even my girlfriend yet!_

The whole time Lucy just walked alongside him in a silence that was so awkward it was practically suffocating. Then, when Sting started slapping himself in the face, muttering about stupid Rogue and his stupid comment, Lucy had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

When they reached her hotel, Lucy turned to Sting - either to thank him for walking her, or to tell him to get lost, but Sting would never know because he pressed a scrap of paper in her hand before running away like a horde of angry dragons were on his tail.

 _I'm such a coward_ he thought.

* * *

Lucy smiled at his antics and went inside, slipping off her heels and throwing them to the far side of the room. She scowled at the pretty, pale yellow shoes with black bows. Her feet were killing her, and it wasn't even worth it - Sting didn't even notice them!

She didn't even know why she cared, but as soon as she'd seen them in the window of the shop, she'd fallen in love with them. They reminded her of Sting.

Now Lucy was slapping herself in the face, trying to blank out the images of Sting coming to her mind.

The other day she'd walked in on him changing his shirt - and almost passed out at the sight of his glorious muscles. She'd thought the guys in Fairy Tail were fit, but Sting...

He was something else.

Her face the colour of a tomato, Lucy decided that a bath would help to cleanse her mind of the image of the other blonde's beautiful abs.

Sinking below the surface, she realised that she hadn't read the note Sting had given her. She quickly finished her bath and was towelling her hair off when she found the note in her handbag.

It read:

 _Meet me in the park at 7 - don't be late._

Looking at the clock, Lucy saw that it was quarter to. "Damnit!" she exclaimed. "If it takes 5 minutes to run there, I have ten minutes ti get ready!"

Summoning Cancer to do her hair, and Virgo to fetch some clothes, Lucy grabbed the heels she'd previously thrown into the corner and kissed them. Thank you, lucky shoes! She thought with a smile.

Running out the door at top speed, she stopped at the corner just before the park. She slipped the heels on and checked her reflection in a shop window opposite her. Nothing's missing, nothing's sticking out she thought, and gave her hair a final once over before taking a deep breath and passing through the park gates.

* * *

Sting ran towards the park, breathless not just because he was running, but because of his nerves and the fact that he was late. _It's not like it's a_ date _or_ _anything, but it's rude to be late, damnit!_ He stopped and smoothed his hair down, unknowingly checking himself over in the same shop window Lucy had used.

He entered the park, and his attention was immediately drawn towards the beautiful blonde sat on a bench almost opposite him. She hadn't noticed him yet, because she was too busy staring at the ground, and Sting had a moment to take in what she was wearing. She had this pretty pale yellow sundress with a thin black belt that held her keys on, along with the adorable shoes she'd been wearing earlier. Her hair was in a cute little half up, half down 'do and she was fiddling with a pretty black shoulder purse.

Sting felt his mouth go dry as he walked towards her and sat down. This got her attention, and when she looked up, she gave him a smile so dazzling it took his breath away. It wasn't the trademark, megawatt grin of hers that graced the cover of Sorcerer Weekly, no. This smile was pure joy and happiness. For a second, she was so beautiful that Sting literally had trouble breathing.

"Crazy golf?" He managed to squeak out, and she nodded in return.

She hoped that she looked calmer than she actually was - her thoughts were all on how Sting's formfitting t-shirt accentuated all his glorious muscles, and Lucy had to concentrate to stop herself from drooling. Bad Lucy, she mentally scolded herself. This isn't even an official date, so don't be so nervous.

They walked towards the crazy golf course in silence, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as the one from earlier. It was actually quite pleasant. Subconsciously, the two mages leaned closer, and when their fingertips accidentally brushed, the sparks that flew were almost tangible.

In a moment of boldness, Sting grabbed Lucy's hand, which shocked her, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

When the reached the golf course, Sting grinned and waved the score card at her, having regained his composure from earlier, and with it, his cocky demeanour.

"Hope you're ready to lose, Blondie!" He said with a smirk.

"You're on, Stingy-Bee! How about we make a bet - the loser has to buy the winner dinner?" Lucy replied with a devilish look in her eyes. Not many people knew this, but her childhood home had actually had a crazy golf course, and with no one to play with except Aquarius, she had become an absolute champion.

Sting simply continued smirking. "You're on, I'll have you know there hasn't been a player who has beaten me yet!"

* * *

"Ow, Sting slow down!" Lucy complained. "You're going way to fast!"

"Shh, Blondie, we don't want them to catch us." Sting replied with his signature smirk, pulling her into an alley.

The security guards that had been chasing them ran straight past, and Sting's smile grew so wide Lucy wondered if his face was going to break.

He cackled in delight, having finally outwitted the authorities. Normally they caught him, unless he was with Rogue who would pull them both into a nearby shadow.

Suddenly, the two blondes were aware of their position - Sting had Lucy pinned against the wall, and they were so close that their breaths we're mingling.

An overpowering urge to kiss Lucy took Sting by surprise, and he leaned forward, tenderly pressing his lips to hers. She returned the kiss eagerly, and it started to get a bit more passionate, until the two of them realised they were still in an alley.

As they stepped out, Lucy swore and winced in pain.

Sting immediately turned round, asking her what was wrong.

"Nothing, I just sprained my ankle when we were running. It's f-eeeek!" Her last statement was cut off as Sting lifted her up, bridal-style.

"You should be more careful. I don't like it when you get hurt." Sting murmured soft,y into her hair.

Though Lucy was blushing crimson, she managed to find a retort. "Well if you hadn't gotten angry at the fact that I was winning, and thrown a tantrum that ended up wrecking half the course, we wouldn't be in this mess!" She said with a grin. Sting just mumbled something about unfair and cheating, which made Lucy laugh.

When they reached the hotel, Sting laid Lucy on the bed, making sure to take her shoes off, and then took off his own before laying down beside her and pulling her into his chest.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Lucy said, going very red.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sting murmured. "I'm going to sleep. I'm tired, my house is half-way across town, and I don't want to leave my girlfriend. Plus, since you technically won, I owe you dinner - but I was thinking breakfast instead?"

Lucy smiled. "Wait, girlfriend?" She asked, getting slightly more agitated.

"I guess I'll have to ask you formally, huh. Lucy Heartfilia, will you be my girlfriend?" Sting asked in a serious voice.

"Of course I will. I love you Sting." She replied.

"And I love you too, Lucy." Sting said.

Then the two lovebirds fell asleep, holding one another close and smiling.


	4. Chapter 4: LaLu

**Haiiiiiii! I'm back after a short(ish) break. LaLu now for all you fans, personally I think this is a great ship - their personalities compliment each other perfectly, and their pasts are so similar.**

 **Note: I know Lucy's parents' graves are in Acalypha, and Laxus' house is probably in Magnolia, so well just ignore that little technicality. And any others.**

 **Thanks to all who favourited,** **followed** **and reviewed.**

 **Disclaimer: saaaaaad, I still don't own Fairy Tail...maybe someday...**

* * *

Raindrops fell from the sky, shattering like tiny diamonds as they hit the ground. The steady stream of ice-cold water mingled with the hot, salty tears on the woman's face. She sat on the damp grass, knees pulled up to her chest and cried silently. Her eyes were open, unblinking, and she didn't move a single muscle. No noise, not a sob or even a whimper escaped her throat as she sat there, staring at the twin gravestones in front of her. Eventually, the blonde lifted her head. She opened her mouth, and then, in a hoarse, broken voice, she began to sing.

 _I can see you there_

 _Right by my side as always_

 _You've never left or let me down, my friend_

 _I can feel you there_

 _Close to my heart as always_

 _Your soul and mine share a bond made of love_

 _So as the sky turns grey_

 _And the clouds gather above_

 _Trying to fight back your tears_

 _Feeling so lost and alone_

 _I am the star that burns for you_

 _Shining through the night_

 _Just follow me_

 _I will guide you home_

 _And when you're feeling lost at sea_

 _Listen for my song_

 _Calling you back_

 _To the shore._

Her voice cracked completely at the end, and her shoulders began to shake as violent sobs seized her body. She made a choking sound in the back of her throat and her shoulders slumped impossibly further.

The blonde man standing in the gateway of the small graveyard hesitated, a limp, forgotten bouquet of flowers in one hand.

He walked towards a beautiful white grave-marker and set the lilies down in front of it before kneeling and resting his forehead against the cool stone.

"I miss you, Ma." He whispered in a tight voice. "Everyday."

Having completed his task, he hesitantly walked over to the girl and draped his coat over her shoulders. He didn't recognise her, but due to her bedraggled appearance she could have been Princess Hisui and he probably wouldn't have recognised her.

He helped her to her feet, but when she tried to stand she almost toppled over. He caught her before she hit the ground and cursed as his hand made contact with her feverish skin. "Shit! You've been out here too long, girly. You've got a fever, and possibly something worse!" He said to her, trying to draw some kind of a response, but got nothing and began to panic when he looked down and realised she was unconscious.

"Crap!" He said through gritted teeth. He could take her to the guild hall...but that was too far away, and he wouldn't dare to teleport there with her in this condition, plus it was raining. The rain always wreaked havoc on his lightning transportation.

He scowled at her unconscious form as he realised the only option was to take her to his place - it was only a 5 minute walk or so from there. He started to jog carefully but quickly through the forest - he couldn't risk the girl being out in the rain much longer. It might have already been too late.

Swearing repeatedly under his breath, he picked up the pace, and swung the girl through the front doors before laying her down on the couch. He slammed the door shut and hurried into the kitchen to fetch his medical supplies. He soaked a cold cloth in water and lay it over the girl's forehead before checking her temperature and swearing yet again. 40°c. He grabbed the diagnosis lacrima from his kit and waved it over her body, as per the instructions, and saw that she had a touch of pneumonia - just as he'd thought.

He glanced at her soaking clothes and grimaced. Normally he'd just lay her in front of the fire or something, but with her high temperature that would be too much of a risk. Blushing, he sighed in resignation, and, seeing no way around it, he grabbed a shirt from his room, along with a few towels and a hairbrush of Evergreen's. Back downstairs he changed her as quickly as possible, just hoping to god that she didn't wake up, and letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding when he was done.

With her clothes hanging in front of the fire to dry, he draped his coat over her once again, and started to dry her hair, carefully brushing the knots out of it as well. Making sure not to pull on her scalp, he found that the repetitive motion was actually quite soothing, and he was soon lulled into a dreamlike state. After a while, he broke himself out by snorting at the ridiculousness of the situation - who would've thought that the great Laxus Dreyer would enjoy brushing a girl's hair.

He glanced down at said girl, and realised with a jolt that he did in fact know her. Now that her hair was dry, it no longer looked mud-brown, but golden-blonde. It was Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's resident celestial mage. His brow creased as he wondered what she had been doing out in the rain before the pieces clicked in his mind.

Lucy Heartfilia, the young heiress who had lost her mother as a little girl, and then found out her father had died whilst they were sealed on Tenrou Island.

 _Crap_ , he thought. _The twin gravestones... how did no-one notice something was wrong with her?_

Taking another look at the sleeping blonde, he made another disturbing connection. This time last year, right after they had won the Grand Magic Games, Lucy had disappeared for a month, and had refused to say anything once she had returned. What if...what if she had been doing what she had done today. Crying in front of her parents' graves, mourning for them, and inadvertently making herself sick...

Laxus rubbed his temples with a groan and, with a glance at the clock, gathered the girl in his arms. He carried her upstairs and tucked her into the master bed before settling down on a couch in the same room with a blanket over him.

He watched her through eyes that were heavy with tiredness, and decided that he could rely on his instincts to wake him if anything was wrong. As he was about to drift off, he noticed Lucy whimpering and shivering, and realised that, even with the duvet and several blankets, she was still cold.

He hesitantly climbed into bed next to her and wrapped her in his arms, careful not to wake her, because he had no intention of getting a Lucy-kick to the face.

Her grimace melted into a smile, and Laxus felt her tensed muscles relax. He smiled into her hair, and drifted off amongst a haze of vanilla and strawberries.

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia woke to the sound of birds chirping. Slowly opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings. _Well_ , she thought, _I'm definitely not at my place. So where am I?_

The walls were a neutral cream, and the furniture polished oak. The curtains, duvet and rugs were all black and white, and the whole place smelt of ozone and rain.

Lucy swung her legs over the side of the bed, and attempted to stand - failing miserably and falling to the floor with a dull thud. Wincing, Lucy used to bed to draw herself up, and hoped that the other occupant of the house hadn't heard her fall. Unfortunately for her, Laxus was a dragon-slayer, with extra sensitive hearing.

He abandoned breakfast and ran upstairs, before throwing the bedroom door open.

Lucy let out a squeak of surprise - of all the people to have rescued her, she never expected it would be Laxus!

Realising that Lucy was ok, and hadn't injured herself, Laxus' cheeks went slightly pink when he took in her rumpled attire, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I see you're awake." He said, brilliantly. "Are you...are you ok?"

Lucy was shocked. She expected a jibe of some sort, or a lecture about being irresponsible. Or maybe both. Not this, not his sympathy. Her lip curled in disgust at the thought.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." She replied stiffly.

"Right. I, ah, I'll head back downstairs and finish breakfast, then. Is there anything in particular you want?" He asked somewhat awkwardly.

Lucy's eyes softened. He may be a grade-A jerk, but that was because he was more socially awkward than anyone she'd ever met, and she understood that he didn't mean to be rude - he just...didn't know how to be nice, exactly.

"If you have any cereal, that would be nice, thanks." She said.

"Ok, come down when you're ready. Feel free to take a shower, the ensuite's just through there." He pointed at a door next to the bed. "Your clothes are on the chair." He finished and hurried away.

Lucy's brain was still foggy with sleep, and it took her a good few moments to realise that if her clothes weren't on her body...somebody must have changed them. She turned bright red, and the anger that had only just dissipated returned in full force.

"LAXUUUUUUUS!" She screamed, and the dragon-slayer in question covered his ears, wincing.

Lucy was about to storm downstairs and confront him, when she looked down to see what the pervert had put her in, and nearly fainted from shock. It was one of his t-shirts - and it was massive on her, but not anywhere near big enough to be considered appropriate.

 _Holy shit_ , she thought. _That must have been why he was blushing earlier...oh my god!_

Shaking her head as if to clear the embarrassing thoughts from her mind, she picked up her clothes and went into the ensuite.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Laxus was understandably on edge. He had heard, and laughed at, tales from Natsu and Gray about Lucy's temper, and her infamous 'Lucy kick'. He did not want to be on the receiving end...

Whilst his hands were busy chopping mushrooms and tomatoes, his mind was going through all possible excuses he could give the blonde,

 _What about 'hey, Lucy, I know what you're thinking but I swear I didn't touch you like that - it was Evergreen who changed your clothes'._ He mused silently _. Nah she'd just ask Ever whether it was true, and no matter how loyal my team are, women stick together. That and Ever already thinks I'm a huge pervert. Maybe I could just tell her the truth? Or would just get me killed?_

"God! Bloody freaking hell! I don't know..." He growled, much to the amusement of Lucy, who was standing in the doorway.

"Finished with your temper tantrum?" She asked playfully, smirking at his scowl.

"Lucy." He said in greeting, steering her towards a chair and putting a heaping plate of eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms down in front of her before sitting down himself. "So, care to explain what you were doing freezing to death in a graveyard? No pun intended." He said with a serious face, leaning forward slightly.

Lucy's expression became guarded, her eyes sad, and he sighed. "I think I have a pretty good idea, but I wanted you to confirm it first so I don't make a complete fool of myself if its wrong. I think you were mourning for your parents. I think you were planning on staying out there, in the rain, and making yourself ill, before crawling back home to recuperate for a month. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of that, but judging from your expression, I don't think I am, am I?" He finished.

She just looked at him for a minute before speaking. "You are...correct. Mostly. I didn't want to make myself sick, I was just planning on spending all day with them. It's not my fault the human body isn't built for freezing temperatures and icy rain. And what about you? What were you doing there?" She rushed out.

Laxus blinked - all the surprise he'd show. "I was also visiting the grave of a relative. My mother is buried there. She died giving birth to me." He averted his eyes, not wanting to see the sympathy in hers. When he eventually looked at the other blonde, he was surprised again. Instead of sympathy, there was...understanding? What?

"I know how you feel." She said softly. "When my mum died, it broke me. I was only 10. Everyone was always telling me how 'sorry they were for my loss' and things like that. I figured out pretty early on that I hate sympathy, and I guess you do too. It was just a guess, but I thought so."

Laxus' features softened almost imperceptibly. "Yeah, I get what you mean. After my old man up and left, Natsu and the rest of the guild - even Gramps - would look at me with these big sad eyes. It just made me so angry, I mean, it wasn't like he was much of a father anyway, and I never had a mother so I didn't know what it was like to miss one. But every time I tried to explain it, they would just look at me with pity, and tell me it was 'okay to cry'. I hated them for it."

Lucy looked at him with her big brown eyes, and for some reason his breath caught in his throat.

"It's strange, isn't it." She said. "They say these things to try and...help you. Make you feel better. It never works - but it's nice to know that someone understands how it makes me feel, Laxus."

His cheeks turned pink again, and Lucy wondered if her skirt was too short, or her top was too low-cut.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Blondie. Lucy." He called her by her name for once.

Lucy smiled brightly, before wrapping her arms around him. After he'd recovered from the shock, Laxus returned the embrace. She murmured something indecipherable into his shirt before blushing tomato-red.

"What was that, Lucy?" He asked, genuinely curious. Even with his advanced hearing, he didn't know what she'd said.

"N-nothing!" She squeaked, her face still flushed.

He tilted her chin up to him, and said something that shocked her.

"I usually hate physical contact of any kind, unless it's in a fight, but I don't seem to mind with you. Isn't that strange?" He whispered, staring into her eyes.

Lucy's heart began to beat faster. _Maybe he likes me! Maybe it wasn't just wishful thinking!_ She thought.

Before she could stop herself, Lucy blurted out "I love you!"

Laxus' expression was shocked, and Lucy began to back away.

"I-I'm so..." She spun round to run upstair, but a warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Laxus spun her round so she was facing him, and looked straight into her eyes.

"Do you mean it?" He asked in a low voice. Having lost the ability to speak, Lucy just nodded.

Without hesitation, he crushed his lips onto hers. After he broke away, he gathered her in his arms and sat her down on the couch.

They talked about anything and everything for hours and hours, and it was only when the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon rose that they paused.

"Lucy, I think you should go to bed. It's pretty late, and you still haven't completely recovered." He said softly to the blonde. She muttered unintelligibly, and burrowed her face further into his shirt. He chuckled, and lifted her in his arms before carrying her upstairs and laying her on the bed.

"Go to sleep, my angel." He whispered, and kissed her forehead, before moving to settle down on the couch.

"Don't go." She said sleepily, clutching his wrist. "Stay." She pulled him towards her, and Laxus' weak resolve cracked.

He pulled the covers over himself and the girl he had come to love. Then the two lovebirds fell asleep, holding one another close and smiling.


End file.
